The President of the Niger Delta Integrated Farmers Association of Nigeria, Julius Openha-Wodah, has raised concern over what he described as the growing influx and widespread use of banned and hazardous agro-chemicals in Nigeria, warning that weak regulation and border controls have exposed consumers to serious food-safety risks.
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Openha-Wodah spoke on Wednesday while reacting to recent concerns attributed to former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo over the safety of packaged food and drinks consumed in the country.
He said the issue went beyond isolated cases, arguing that pesticide residues, improper chemical use and the continued circulation of restricted agro-inputs had become a wider public-health concern.
“The former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, is absolutely correct. There is a food safety and public health issue; there is a serious concern on pesticide residue,” he said.
According to Openha-Wodah, some chemicals that have been prohibited or restricted in other jurisdictions continue to enter Nigerian markets, while many farmers may be unaware of their regulatory status or potential health risks.
“There are lots of chemicals that have been banned worldwide, but unfortunately, these agro-input producers see Nigeria as a dumping ground where nobody bothers to check anything,” he said.
He added that limited awareness among farmers, combined with weak enforcement, had allowed potentially dangerous products to remain in circulation.
“Most of our farmers might not know that there are a lot of chemicals that are banned, but they still find their ways into the country,” he stated.
Openha-Wodah specifically cited paraquat and glyphosate while raising concern over the continued availability of some herbicides in Nigerian markets.
“Chemicals like paraquat, which is completely banned because of its chemical composition, and glyphosate, which is also banned in some countries, are highly toxic to human lives, but they are still being sold in the Nigerian market,” he said.
His claims concerning the regulatory status and health effects of the chemicals were made in the course of his intervention.
The farmers’ association president also raised alarm over what he described as the misuse of pesticides within the food distribution chain, alleging that some farmers and traders apply crop chemicals directly to food products in an attempt to prolong their shelf life.
“We also realised that most of the farmers and those in the distribution chain are using pesticides to preserve foods. In other words, we are taking in raw chemicals,” he warned.
He said such practices could expose consumers to chemical residues, particularly where products are used inappropriately or without observing recommended application and withdrawal periods.
Openha-Wodah extended his concerns to the livestock sector, saying improper use of veterinary drugs, antibiotics and other chemical inputs could also pose risks to consumers of meat and dairy products.
“Let’s even talk about livestock; there, we have a lot of chemicals and antibiotics in this sector, and poor usage of these chemicals poses a risk to the consumers,” he said.
He consequently called on federal food-safety agencies, agricultural regulators and border authorities to intensify inspections, strengthen enforcement and prevent prohibited agro-chemicals from entering or circulating in Nigerian markets.
Openha-Wodah also urged stronger public education for farmers and others in the agricultural value chain on the safe use of pesticides, herbicides, veterinary medicines and other farm inputs.
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